


Never Have I Ever Thrown A House Party on Accident

by crystalkei



Series: Never Have I Ever Actually Fallen In Love [12]
Category: Never Have I Ever (TV)
Genre: Cuddling, Domestic Fluff, F/M, he's making her food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:16:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25302214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crystalkei/pseuds/crystalkei
Summary: “What are you doing here?”"Your parents aren’t home,” Trent said, like it was the most obvious response.“I’m not having a party! My mom just got a new rug!”“Well, this is gonna be awkward, man,” Trent said, trying to get around him and into the house, but Paxton was not budging.“What’s gonna be awkward?”Eleanor spoke up, “He invited pretty much all of school to show up here.”“You did what?” Paxton almost yelled.
Relationships: Paxton Hall-Yoshida/Devi Vishwakumar, Trent Harrison/Eleanor Wong
Series: Never Have I Ever Actually Fallen In Love [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1761826
Comments: 11
Kudos: 68





	Never Have I Ever Thrown A House Party on Accident

McEnroe here, Devi had won. She’d pulled off the Mom Con! Paxton’s mom was fine with the short meeting, Trent and Eleanor had escaped Target and not been banned by the employees for their minor infractions, and even though Devi had messed up and hurt Paxton, she apologized and handled it before it got too bad. By the time she made it home that day, she was walking on sunshine. Oh that’s fun, I’m walking on sunshine, wooooah! And don’t it feel good! 

“Devi!” 

McEnroe: uhhhh, that doesn’t sound great. 

“What?” Devi shouted back, annoyed. 

Nalini came rushing to the door, ready to fight. “Why did I run into that boy’s mom at Target?” 

“Who?” Devi played dumb but her heart rate went up and her hand clenched around her phone. 

“Paxton Hall-Yoshida, his mother was thrilled to run into me at Target, wanted to chat and then suddenly ran out of the store. What’s going on?” She narrowed her eyes at Devi. 

“I don’t know, Mom, maybe she just likes Target?”

“Everybody likes Target, that’s not an excuse! And then Fabiola’s mom was there, it was fishy!” 

“You can’t yell at me because you ran into people you know at Target, Mom! That’s ridiculous! You’re paranoid!” Devi considered the escalation as an easy way to distract from the real issue. 

Nalini stood with her hands on her hips and looked at Devi, skeptically. “What’s going on with you and that boy?”

“He’s my friend,” Devi answered quickly. 

“Give me your phone.” Nalini held out her hand.  
  
“Why?” Devi wasn’t just panicked now, she was angry. 

“I’m going to look at your history, calls, texts, I pay for it, I’m entitled to do that.” 

“No!” Devi felt her face get hot. She had to get out of there before she did something that would get her in trouble. Losing control with her mom would not be good. 

“Devi!” Nalini shouted and Devi shook her head.  
  
“You’re being stupid!” Devi shouted back before heading up the stairs. 

“Yeah, go to your room! Don’t plan on leaving it anytime soon!” Nalini yelled after her. 

Things were not going so well post con, it turned out. 

**Devi to Paxton:**  
  
Turns out the con only half worked. My mom is suspish AF and wants to search my phone  
  
  
 **Paxton to Devi:**

Fuckkkkk

Download Whatsapp. I was gonna tell you to do it earlier because that’s what I use to text people when I’m in Japan. Then just hide it in a folder idk like where your food apps are

Devi went to work downloading the new app. Paxton reminded her he was going to Japan in two weeks, it was coming up fast and she didn’t love that. 

**Paxton to Devi:**

You’re not gonna like this but…maybe we should tell your mom  
  
  
Devi immediately started to type: 

  
**Devi to Paxton:**

I don’t want to hurt your feelings because I know you’re just starting to get some confidence in your intelligence but please know i mean this in the kindest way possible, that’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard

  
McEnroe: But thankfully, again, she had the restraint (she was getting so much better!) to backspace all that text and not actually send it.  
  
 **Devi to Paxton:**  
  
Yeah, we can’t do that.

**Paxton to Devi:**  
  
It feels bad not telling your mom! I’m constantly stressed that she’s gonna find out and what is really the worst that can happen? And what’s the best that happens? We really never tell her? You wanna be getting married 10 years from now and what? Send her an invitation?

**Devi to Paxton:**  
  
We can’t tell her. I’ll never be able to leave the house again. She’ll probably pack me up and drag me to India like she tried last year, my tenuous at best relationship with her will be sunk. It’s fine. I’m gonna go downstairs and apologize for yelling at her and idk make up some excuse about your mom and then we’ll be fine again. 

Devi did not want to even consider the bad things that could happen if her mom found out. She couldn’t imagine anything good coming from it. So it was still best to keep lying. How long could this relationship possibly last? 

Oh. 

Okay she didn’t want to go down that rabbit hole. Because it turned out she was probably in love with Paxton and then she was back to thinking about what Eleanor said. High school relationships didn’t last forever. Shit.  
  
Was that thought worse than her mom finding out about her relationship?  
  
 **Paxton to Devi:**  
  


Please don’t get grounded. I leave in two weeks and it would suck ass if we couldn’t hang out

McEnroe: aw, that’s a nice thing for Paxton to say. 

Devi waited about an hour and then went downstairs ready to repent and make up with her mom. Nalini was doing the dishes so Devi picked up a towel and started to dry the clean dishes.  
  
Her mother didn’t say anything, just kept washing. They worked like that, together, for a few minutes before Devi spoke up. “I’m sorry I yelled.” 

Nalini kept scrubbing the pot in her hands. Devi glanced over and her mother’s eyes were focused on the pot, Devi looked away and tried not to get annoyed. If Devi had a temper, her mother was incapable of admitting she’d gone too far. (Which she did often but never apologized for.) 

“I don’t need to see your phone,” Nalini finally said, handing the clean pot to Devi to dry. 

“I think Paxton’s mom just wants you to join her book club.” 

“What a nightmare,” Nalini said, a laugh in her voice. 

“Yeah, that didn’t sound like something you’d like.” Devi put the last pot away in the cupboard. 

“Elise would like that. Hopefully she’ll ask her so I don’t have to politely decline.” Nalini dried her hands on her apron. 

Before, the idea of telling her mom was terrifying. But maybe at some point, maybe Devi would feel like she could tell her? It felt uncomfortable to think about how long she’d been lying about Paxton, but it would hurt her mom when she found out so now Devi was in a gray area. She felt like shit lying but she knew it’d be a disaster to come clean and tell the truth. Oh no. This was bad. 

\--

The best part of summer was the fact that Devi’s mom was at work all day and that meant that she could pretty much do whatever she wanted. Sure, her mom had various chores that she wanted done and Kamala was always around, but overall she could tell her mom she was studying and as long as she was home for dinner or had some reasonable excuse, she could do whatever she wanted.  
  
That’s why it had been easy to hang out at the pool with her friends all summer. (Even if she was still only putting her feet in the pool.) So going over to her secret boyfriend’s house in the afternoon? Totally fine! Her mom would never know! 

Paxton let Devi into the house and headed for the kitchen. “Sorry about the smell. My dad cooked and-“

“Smells good.” 

“You think?” He asked, surprised. “You want to try it?

“Sure, what is it?” 

“It’s kinda weird,” Paxton seemed nervous. 

“I’ll try whatever.” She sat on a barstool at the end of the kitchen island. 

“It’s takoyaki, uh best way to describe it is uh kinda an octopus pancake ball? It’s one of my favorite foods but my dad doesn’t make it often.”

“Sign me up, let’s go. I didn’t have lunch.” 

Paxton smiled, before he opened the fridge and started pulling stuff out. “You don’t have to try it if you don’t want to.”

“I just said it smelled good in here and I want to try it.” Devi tilted her head, Paxton avoided her. 

He pulled out a couple of Tupperware containers and some sauce bottles and laid them out across the island. 

“It’s weird.”

“Paxton, eating eggs at my house is controversial but we figure it out, I don’t think your favorite food is weird.” 

“I don’t think any girl I’ve dated has tried it,” he explained, still not looking at her, his cheeks barely pink. 

Devi reached across the island and covered his free hand with hers, hoping the touch would get him to look at her. “Have I ever met a food I didn’t like?” 

He looked up at her and let out a short laugh. “You really love food. I’m pretty sure you’ll never love anyone as much as you love chili cheese fries.”

“Hit me with the octopus balls,” Devi said, but Paxton raised an eyebrow and gave her a sly smile. “The taco thing.”

“Takoyaki!” Rebecca shouted, coming into the kitchen. “Make me a couple too, I’m on my way to work but you’ll eat all the leftovers if I don’t get some now.”

Paxton rolled his eyes at her. “Make them yourself.”

“You have all the stuff out, just make me a couple!”

“Am I supposed to take you to work?” Paxton asked, still making the food for Devi but not his sister. 

“No, you’re supposed to make me a plate though,” she said, pulling a paper plate from the cabinet and putting it next to where he was working. 

“Fine,” he said. 

Devi smiled at Becca. “See, I’ll like it, Becca likes it!”

“Mmmmm,” Rebecca started. “Some people don’t like it.” She turned back to her brother. “C’mon, Samantha will be here to pick me up in 10. Just put some on the plate, dude.” 

Paxton side eyed her but put a few balls on her plate. “I’m reheating these in the oven, if you need yours now, put them in the microwave.”  
  
“Ew, I’d rather eat them cold.” She took the mayo bottle and a dark sauce bottle and added the condiments. “I’m gonna stay over at Samantha’s tonight. We’re closing and she wants to show me a new sewing trick she learned on her serger.”  
  
“Did you tell Mom?”  
  
“Did you tell Mom Devi was coming over?” Rebecca parroted back. 

“No,” he sounded like a little kid. 

“I feel like I’m missing something,” Devi said. 

“Our parents are gone. He wants you to stay over and I’m not gonna be around for that, no thanks!” A horn honked and Becca took her paper plate of food and waved. “Stay out of my room!” 

“Why would we go in your room?” Paxton asked, but Becca was already out the door. 

“Your parents aren’t home?” Devi leaned on the counter further and wagged her eyebrows.  
  
“My dad surprised my mom with an anniversary trip, I think he actually forgot the anniversary, it was yesterday, so he had to go overboard and they went away for the weekend.” 

Devi cringed. Her dad never forgot her parents’ anniversary. He did once forget her mom’s birthday but it happened so long ago that it was more of a joke now. Well, not nearly as funny a joke when he was dead. 

“You should have told me! I would have come prepared! I gotta figure out a lie to tell my mom.” Devi picked up the brown sauce bottle and put a little on her finger and then tasted it. “You wanna have a party or something?”

“Hell no,” Paxton said, putting a tray into the oven. “My mom just got a new rug in the living room and the last time I had a party when they left I was grounded for a month and my mom used a broken laminate countertop as an excuse to get the granite you’re leaning on. I do not throw house parties at _my_ house anymore.” 

“Is that the party where Marcus broke his arm last year?” Devi asked, looking at the granite countertop differently. 

“Yeah, it was bad. Why do you think I rushed to get you to the hospital when you let a coyote attack you? I was not having another Marcus in the ambulance situation.” 

Devi tried not to laugh. “I thought you took me to the hospital because you liked me.”  
  
“I did. Well. I did but,” Paxton stammered for a second before Devi put him out of his misery. 

“I’m joking.” 

“Oh.” Paxton gestured to the living room. “So we haven’t actually ever had an official date and I want to do that tonight. Not a party. Just you and me and the couch and popcorn and Great British Bake-off and we can have sex in my bed instead of the garage.” 

“We’ve been on a date,” Devi argued. 

Paxton shook his head. “No, we haven’t.”

“What about prom?” 

“I tried to ask you but you couldn’t go, remember?”

“Wait you tried to ask me?” Devi looked at him unsure. “No you told me to come to prom after the musical stuff started and we went to get food and you paid and then we danced to Carly Rae and you told me you’d been pining. That was a date.”

“I tried to ask you but you didn’t even notice. I mentioned prom and tried to ask and you said your mom wouldn’t let you go anyways because you’d been in trouble so much.” Paxton walked around the island to stand next to where Devi was sitting, leaning back on the countertop so he was facing her. “And me buying you chili cheese fries does not count as a date.” 

“I’m a slut for chili cheese fries, I’m pretty sure that does constitute a date.” 

Paxton shook his head, he leaned forward and kissed her, just a peck. “You are a slut for chili cheese fries. It’s adorable.” 

Devi preened, shrugging one shoulder and putting her hands under her chin. “I am adorable. Thanks for noticing.”

The oven timer went off and Paxton went to pull the food out. He tossed the oven mitt behind him without looking and Devi rolled her eyes. He was showing off but there wasn’t much to show off, but that was who he was. He was maybe as dramatic as Eleanor if he wanted to impress. He pulled a pair of chopsticks from the drawer next to him and started moving the takoyaki balls from the pan to the plate. 

“You can’t reheat them too long or the octopus gets chewy.” He grimaced. “It’s already a little chewy but they’re good, okay. I hope.” 

“Why are you so nervous for me to try the food?”

“I’m not, I’m not!” He doused mayo all over the dish, then added the other sauce.

“What is that one?” Devi asked, her chin pointing to the bottle. 

“Bulldog sauce, kinda like barbeque sauce I guess, there’s another sauce you’re supposed to use but this is what we have,” he explained. 

“Well, put the ball in my mouth, dude,” Devi said, but she couldn’t keep a straight face. 

Paxton closed his eyes and laughed, barely. “Devi!” 

“I will not be doing that later, by the way, I’m strictly speaking about the octopus balls.” 

“Shut up,” he said, still laughing. He pulled a fork out of the drawer and handed it to her.

“I don’t get chopsticks?”

“You want chopsticks?” He offered her the ones he’d been using. 

She took them and tried to hold them a minute before giving up. “Fine I’ll use the fork.”

“Thank god, because I do not want to spend 20 minutes trying to teach you how to use those just for you to eat this food.”  
  
“Forget the fork, just put the ball in my mouth.” She couldn’t even look at him when she said it. She was looking only at the food. “Make me the perfect bite.” 

He tried not to laugh at her while picking up the perfect bite, one takoyaki ball with all the fixins on his chopsticks. He put his free hand under the food to protect from spills as he lifted it to her mouth. 

Devi took the bite, and immediately covered her mouth as she chewed. Paxton watched her expectantly. 

“It’s okay if you don’t like it,” he said, reaching around for the trashcan. “You can spit it out if you want.”  
  
She held up a finger to get him to wait while she chewed. Paxton bit his lip. Devi kept her mouth covered, but started to speak, still chewing.  
  
“This is so good! I like it,” she said, and Paxton smiled, relieved. “But can I get a napkin, that’s a big ball that was just in my mouth.” 

He handed her a paper towel. 

“Are you done making ball jokes?” He rolled his eyes just barely but he was smiling. 

“Maybe? I don’t know. Depends on how the sex goes later.” 

McEnroe: Devi literally winked at Paxton. This is cheesy as hell. 

“Eat your food, Vishwakumar,” he said, picking up her fork and handing it to her before picking himself up a bite with his chopsticks. 

McEnroe: Devi came up with an excuse for her mom, she was spending the night at Eleanor’s (always the best excuse because Nalini was friendly with Dr. Wong but not friendly enough to call and check out the story) and soon, Devi and Paxton were comfortably ensconced on the sectional watching season (or series for you Brits) nine of The Great British Bake Off. 

Devi was sitting criss cross applesauce in the corner of the couch, a bowl of popcorn in her lap and Paxton had his head on her knee, the rest of him sprawled across the couch, like he lived there. Because he did. I should also mention that they took a break between episodes three and four because for some reason, bread week got them hot and bothered. I don’t understand teenagers these days but whatever. I only mention this because you guys need to know that their state of dress was...one of undress. Less dressed. 

Devi pulled the strap of her tank top up on her shoulder.

“I want Kim-Joy’s earrings.”

“You could totally pull them off,” Paxton replied, reaching his hand over his head, into the popcorn bowl. 

“Oh my god!” Devi pointed, excited. 

Paxton groaned as a fluffy orange calico with one eye strut in front of the TV. “Berkeley, get out of the way.”  
  
“I’ve never seen your cat!” Devi said. 

“She’s skittish,” Paxton explained. “Unless you’re trying to watch TV.”  
  
“Is she skittish because you shot her eye out?” Devi asked, but the cat made her way over to Devi and sat next to her on the couch, and Devi was completely focused on the cat. “Can I pet her?”  
  
“You gotta ask her,” Paxton said, unbothered. 

Devi gently offered her hand but the cat got up and ran.  
  
“Ugh. I want her to like me!”  
  
“That was her liking you. She never comes out.” 

Devi sulked for a minute but the technical challenge on GBBO pulled her in. 

“Can someone please give Rahul a hug?” Devi’s phone dinged and she picked it up to read the text from Eleanor. 

“I will hug Rahul just tell me where I gotta be to support the guy, he deserves it,” Paxton said, his phone going off too. Then the doorbell rang. 

“It’s like 10, who is here?” 

“Sometimes my mom has a neighbor check on us, but it’s really late. Why is Trent texting me he’s…”  
  
“He’s here?” Devi finished reading the text from Eleanor. She sat up so fast Paxton’s head hit the couch and started looking around the room frantically.  
  
“What?” Paxton stood up and grabbed his t-shirt from the back of the couch and pulled it over his head.  
  
“I can’t find my shorts! Where did you throw them?” Devi’s voice was a pitch that she almost didn’t recognize herself. 

“I don’t know!” Paxton looked around, picked up his flannel and threw it at Devi. “Make a skirt or something, I don’t know, I’ll keep him at the door.” 

Devi caught the button up shirt and stretched it as wide as her arms could go, looking at it like it was a puzzle. It was. How was she supposed to cover her ass with this? She tied it around her waist and did some buttons up hoping that would work as Paxton answered the door. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“Your parents aren’t home,” Trent said, like it was the most obvious response.  
  
“I made rice krispy treats!” Eleanor said from behind Trent.  
  
“Oh, let her in,” Devi shouted as she made her way to the door. 

Eleanor elbowed her way around Trent and under Paxton’s arm that was holding the door jam, creating a barrier between Trent and the house. 

“I’m not having a party! My mom just got a new rug!”  
  
“Then your dad will buy her a new one when we ruin it and she’ll be happy, like the countertops!” 

“I had to pay $200 of the countertops on top of being grounded,” Paxton argued. 

“Well, this is gonna be awkward, man,” Trent said, trying to get around him and into the house, but Paxton was not budging. “Your fly is undone.” 

Paxton zipped it without looking at Trent. The state of undress shifted to now mostly fully dressed. “What’s gonna be awkward?”

Devi was already digging into the plastic baggie that Eleanor brought of rice krispy treats when Eleanor spoke up. “He invited pretty much all of school to show up here.” 

“You did what?” Paxton almost yelled. 

Trent took the outburst as an excuse to slip past Paxton and get into the house, which Paxton allowed merely so he could shut the door.  
  
“Why would you do that?” Paxton turned, more panicked than mad now.  
  
“You said your parents weren’t home!” Trent tried, sitting next to Eleanor on one of the kitchen barstools. 

“I specifically said Devi and I were gonna watch Bake Off!” Paxton put his hands in his hair, frustrated. Trent may have cowered a little behind Eleanor. Paxton mumbled, “Watch TV and actually have sex in my bed instead of the futon in the garage!” 

“I thought that was just part of the party fun!” Trent looked at his feet, picked up Devi’s shorts, holding them by the belt loop, and offered them to her. 

Devi’s eyes widened just before she snatched the shorts from him.  
  
“Guess they already had sex in here,” Trent whispered to Eleanor, but she shushed him.  
  
“You guys gotta go. And text everyone else that this isn’t happening.”

But the doorbell rang again and Paxton hung his head.  
  
“I’m ready to get my arm broken again!” Marcus hollered from the other side of the door. 

Paxton went to open it but he could not stop the sea of people coming through the door the way he stopped Trent. A couple of football players were hauling a keg, no one was taking off their shoes and they were all heading for the new rug. 

Everyone was shouting, someone had a bluetooth speaker and music was booming through the house now. Someone was shooting a Nerf gun. (Who was that kid and why did he keep bringing Nerf guns to parties?) A cloud of smoke followed a kid who had a lit joint in his hand which Devi thought was very brave because it seemed in the crowd and chaos a person could easily drop it and start a fire. 

Within seconds, people were opening kitchen cupboards, pulling dishes out. Someone tried to shove Devi out of the way to make room for a bar to be set up at the kitchen island but she shoved back.  
  
McEnroe: It was out of control. There were too many people and Devi could see Paxton across the room starting to spiral. He wasn’t mad but it was clear he didn’t know what to do. He kept looking around at every person doing something awful and he couldn’t stop it. But Devi could fix this. She was coming to his rescue this time. (And the new rug, who buys a cream colored rug? Who does that? Mrs. H-Y, I guess.)  
  
Devi shouted at Paxton to get his attention, her arms waving in the air. He looked at her and frowned, but she smiled wide, pointed to herself and mouthed “I got this,” and his face changed just barely. He nodded, and Devi stood on top of the island and started shouting.  
  
“Hey! Get the fuck out! You were told there would be a party but Paxton’s parents just texted and said they’d be home in 10! They’ll call the cops so get out and get out quick!” 

McEnroe: It wasn’t as loud as I can yell, but it was pretty close. And the minute she said cops, kids started pushing to get out as fast as they could. One kid almost got trampled.

“And get off the white rug, you monsters!” A bunch of kids shifted off the rug while still trying to rush out the door and Devi nodded, proud of herself. 

As the crowds thinned and exited, Ben Gross and Shira were waiting for the door to clear enough to leave.  
  
Paxton made his way to Devi who was still standing on the island and reached for her hand to help her down. She stepped on a barstool and then jumped off from there, still holding Paxton’s hand for balance.  
  
“Are you wearing a shirt as a skirt?” Shira asked, confused but intrigued.  
  
“Yes!” Devi said enthusiastically, as Paxton pulled her closer and kissed the side of her head in thanks. 

Ben just stared at Devi slack jawed. “That was a lie, they’re not coming home are they?”

“Go home, Gross,” Devi said.  
  
Shira took Ben’s hand and walked out the front door that was finally clear. “Good luck cleaning up before your parents get here!” she shouted over her shoulder as they left. 

Paxton waved and gave a tight lipped smile. “She could do better than him. She’s way nicer.” 

Devi snorted and turned back to Eleanor. She took the baggie of rice krispy treats and pulled out a few and put them on a plate. Then she went to work on gathering the cups that had been pulled from the cabinet. Trent was already doing penance. He’d pulled a big black trash bag from under the sink and was gathering solo cups that had been abandoned in people’s quick escape.  
  
“Yeah, pick that up and then leave. And please remember we are never doing another party here. I will help you clean all kinds of shit up but not at my own house, bro,” Paxton told Trent. 

-

Devi was almost asleep, on her side, Paxton mirroring her, when she felt him push some errant hair behind her ear. 

“Vishwakumar,” he whispered, so he wouldn’t wake her if she was already asleep.  
  
Devi kept her eyes closed but she nudged his knee and put her leg between his. “I already peed for the last time tonight so I am not up for having sex again.” 

He snorted. “Are you ever not thinking about sex?”

“Are you filing a complaint?” she asked.  
  
“Nope.” 

She liked being in this space: floating, warm and cozy and feeling like maybe the other stuff in life wasn’t so loud. It was probably stupid and would bite her in the ass later but she liked sleeping next to Paxton. It wasn’t awkward like she thought it might be. It probably wasn’t the best sleep she got either though because she found herself waking up several times throughout the night checking to see that he was still there. But she liked it. 

Paxton whispered again, “Devi.” And she finally opened her eyes. 

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said, smiling and then closing his eyes, like he hadn’t bugged her into opening her eyes. 

“Paxton!” she whined.  
  
“You think Rahul is having a good day? I hope he is.” 

“Do people know you’re actually a giant nerd?” Devi asked, adjusting the Sherman Oaks swim team t-shirt she was wearing. She closed her eyes again. 

“You lo-,” he stopped and started again quickly. “You like that about me.” 

McEnroe: Holy shit! Did Paxton Hall-Yoshida almost say the L word? About Devi? Or suggesting that Devi loved him? Was Devi not the only one thinking about this? No. Surely not. They hadn’t been dating that long! Sure, it turned out Paxton had been pining since the day she kissed Ben Gross in Malibu but no. This couldn’t be it. She was exhausted and floating in her happy place and she misheard. 

“Thanks for rescuing me and my mom’s rug tonight,” he said, interrupting her thoughts, his eyes still closed.  
  
“Love when the moment presents itself because it’s so rare,” Devi said. “Are we even now?” 

He opened his eyes and smiled. “You don’t ever owe me when I rescue you.” 

Unexpectedly, Devi felt like she might cry. She closed her eyes tight, willing the tears away. He was so earnest and kind and she wondered what she’d ever done to deserve that.

Before she could say anything, she felt Paxton lift the sleeve of her shirt (well his shirt that she was wearing) and rub his thumb across her shoulder. Very quickly he found the scar from the coyote. It was small, the doctor said she was lucky it didn’t need stitches, but there was the smallest indent. Paxton found it easily and then leaned closer and kissed it. 

“Night, Devi,” he whispered.  
  
Then she was left trying to figure out what exactly had just happened. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all enjoyed it! I love hearing your thoughts and reading your comments! You can still come to talk to me about NHIE on tumblr as well!


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